FRAMINGHAM — The Massachusetts State Police announced Friday that PFM Group Consulting LLC will serve as an independent evaluator overseeing reforms at the department’s training academy, clearing the way for the next recruit class to begin next month.
The firm will spend five years tracking the department’s progress on 103 recommendations issued in May by the International Association of Chiefs of Police, publishing its findings in annual public reports. With that oversight structure in place, the department said it plans to start its 93rd Recruit Training Troop on Oct. 26.
The reform effort follows the September 2024 death of 25-year-old recruit Enrique Delgado-Garcia of Worcester, who died at a hospital two days after becoming unresponsive during an unauthorized, unsupervised sparring session at the academy in New Braintree.
A special statewide grand jury indicted Sgt. Jennifer Penton and Troopers Edwin Rodriguez, David Montanez and Casey LaMonte on charges of involuntary manslaughter and causing serious bodily injury to a trainee. Penton, who supervised the unit, also faces a perjury charge tied to her grand jury testimony.
All four have pleaded not guilty.
Col. Geoffrey Noble, the department’s superintendent, said the Academy’s curriculum and instructional approach have been reshaped around national best practices identified through the IACP assessment and visits to other training academies. “Public safety depends on the Massachusetts State Police Academy’s ability to train the next generation of Troopers and prepare them for a fulfilling career in law enforcement,” Noble said in a statement.
Noble formed a 10-member working group of sworn and professional staff after the IACP assessment, prioritizing 31 of its recommendations. Of those, 22 must be completed before the new recruit class begins, addressing day-to-day training practices, while work must be underway on the remaining nine, which focus on longer-term changes to leadership, trainee wellness and institutional oversight
